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Welcome to High On Marketing - A weekly newsletter where I show you how to strengthen your email marketing strategy for your cannabis brand. Learn how to nurture your audience, increase retention rates, and sell more weed.

⚡Quick Tip⚡

Today’s Email:

• How to Target Your Most Overlooked Customers

• Different Strategies for Different Demographics

• How to Use Your Loyalty Program to Engage Your 65+ Crowd

Let’s Roll 🛼

That’s right, folks.

The days of the stereotypical grumpy senior citizen complaining about the local hooligans gettin’ high with their friends are slowly dying out.

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that marijuana use among Americans aged 65 and older increased by nearly 46% from 2021 to 2023, with 7% reporting usage in the past month. Here’s a link for anyone that wants to check it out

You should care about this for 2 reasons:

1. The Cannabis Paradigm Shift does not discriminate. We want as many people from as many different backgrounds and demographics to understand that cannabis isn’t something to be afraid of. So, the more people benefit from weed, the better. Bonus points that a lot of lawmakers fall into the 65+ category.

2. Your dispensary can (and should) target the 65+ market. Older generations tend to be more loyal to businesses and generally are higher spenders. More money for you.

This newsletter is all about how to target and convert your 65+ audience.

• Help the people that need it most.

• Make more money in the process.

Here’s how⬇️⬇️

But first,

Why This Matters for You:

Think about common health issues your 65+ customers might be facing:

• Arthritis

• Glaucoma

• Parkinson’s

• Sleep disorders

• Digestive issues

It’s no wonder the older generations are turning to cannabis more and more.

And my favorite thing about this industry is we get to help people that really need our help, AND make a little money doing it. Win-win.

Targeting your older gen customers is exactly that.

You have what they need, you just need to know how to communicate that with them.

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Strategies for Engaging Older Customers:

*Disclaimer: You still can’t make any medical claims regarding cannabis in your marketing. You can however share customer stories and show how your products have helped people in similar situations. Use your marketing to guide them to their own conclusions.

Educational Outreach: Host seminars or workshops focusing on how cannabis can aid in managing age-related health issues. Provide clear, accessible information to demystify cannabis use.

Product Selection: Stock products that appeal to older adults, such as low-THC strains, CBD-rich options, tinctures, and topicals, which are often preferred over smokable forms by the older crowd.

Personalized Customer Service: Train staff to address the concerns of older customers, offering personalized recommendations and ensuring a comfortable shopping experience. This can just be helping people make selections or use the iPad at the checkout counter. Everything should be about providing the most comfortable experience.

The last 2 strategies require a little more of a breakdown than the first 3.

Targeted Marketing: Utilize channels that resonate with this demographic.

Your 65+ audience won’t always be active on social media. So you need alternative ways to have your message heard. Here’s the best strategies.

1. Email is still King.

Older adults check their inbox daily, and they're often more attentive readers than younger demographics.

• Keep the layout clean and font large

• Avoid slang, emojis, or abbreviations

• Emphasize education, safety, and health benefits

• Include clear CTAs like: “Visit Our Store,” “Click for More,” or “Get 10% Off CBD Topicals”

✅ Best for: Promotions, product education, and appointment reminders

2. Print Materials

Think flyers, brochures, or newsletters placed in-store or at local senior centers, pharmacies, and community events (if allowed).

• Highlight common use cases: pain relief, sleep support, arthritis

• Include staff bios to build trust

• Offer first-time buyer coupons

✅ Best for: Offline engagement and building trust within the community (with customers AND local businesses)

3. In-Store Signage & Staff Support

Many older customers prefer to ask questions in person. Ensure budtenders are trained to:

• Avoid jargon (“sativa,” “terps,” “710”) unless explained

• Recommend beginner-friendly products

• Walk customers through loyalty programs or email signup on the spot

✅ Best for: High-touch customer service and increasing in-store conversions

4. Phone Calls or Text Reminders

Some older customers appreciate the personal touch of a call or a well-timed SMS (especially for loyalty rewards or appointment confirmations).

• Keep texts short, polite, and direct

• Avoid slang or urgency language that feels “spammy”

✅ Best for: Appointment reminders, loyalty point milestones, order pickups

5. Community Events & Education

Host Q&A sessions, “Cannabis 101” events, or senior shopping hours.

• Partner with senior centers, wellness clinics, or yoga studios

• Offer non-intimidating intro kits or samples

✅ Best for: Trust-building and local brand awareness

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Loyalty Program Tips:

The last thing I want to touch on is how your loyalty program should adapt to cater towards your older crowd more.

“Approximately 71% of U.S. adults aged 55–64 are members of at least one loyalty program, slightly higher than the 69% of those aged 45–54 and 66% of those aged 35–44” (marketingcharts(dot)com).

In contrast, “only 43% of 18–24-year-olds are members of loyalty programs, indicating a generational gap in participation” (today(dot)yougov(dot)com).

While older adults are more likely to be members of loyalty programs, their engagement levels can vary.

To effectively engage older adults in loyalty programs

• Simplify Program Structures: Ensure that the program is easy to understand and navigate.

• Offer Tangible Rewards: Provide clear, valuable benefits that resonate with them.

• Personalize Communication: Tailor messages to address their specific needs and interests.

• Utilize Preferred Channels: Engage through channels they frequent, such as email or in-store interactions.

• Provide Educational Resources: Offer information sessions or materials to help them understand and maximize program benefits

In Summary:

If you want to connect with older adults:

• Think simplicity > multi-step

• Think email > Instagram

• Think education > entertainment

• Think personal touch > flashy gimmicks

And remember, once you earn their trust, they often become your most loyal and highest-spending customers.

Need Help?

As always, if you have any questions or want some hands-on help with engaging ALL of your customers, reply to this email!

Any advice that helps you sell more weed is free!

Until next week

-Steve

When You’re Ready, Here’s How I Can Help You…

Click HERE to download the High On Marketing Evergreen Templates - 50 pre-written emails tailored for cannabis brands to educate, engage, and encourage action from your audience

Stay on top-of-mind while building a well-informed, loyal customer base.

Get your templates today and have the next 6 months of canna content covered!

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9VVS85T

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